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In other government ICT news this week, 16 September 2013

by Intermedium •
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The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is looking for a new CIO. The position was advertised this week, after CASA’s previous CIO Jamie MacGregor left for the Australian Bureau of Statistics in January 2013. Manager of Infrastructure and Operations, John Forrest, is currently the acting CIO. Applications for the position close on 26 September.

Applications for the Queensland Government CIO (QGCIO) will close at the end of this week. The position opened following the departure of Peter Grant in May 2013. According to the job description, the successful QGCIO will be responsible for implementing the Queensland Government ICT Strategy 2013-17, working with CIOs across the Queensland public service to ensure “a new, more contestable service delivery environment”, and providing advice to the Minister and Director-General of the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts. The position will be awarded on a three-year contract with possible extensions.

Tasmania has announced the launch of its Modern Communications Project beyond the Department of Premier and Cabinet. The whole-of-Government initiative to implement a new telephony system, Connect V, has already been deployed in a number of agencies following “successful and trial deployment in TMD”. Connect V aims to replace an existing analogue spectrum phone service with a new VoIP system. The first agencies to use the new system along with TMD are the Royal Hobart Hospital's Wellington Clinics, the new Police Complex in Devonport, the Macquarie Point Development Authority and sectors of the Department of Health and Human Services.

VicRoads has entered into a discussion forum consultation about developing an Enquiry Management System. It is looking for “innovative” ways to document public enquiries, complaints and feedback. According to the VicRoad consultation page, it is interested in off-the-shelf software that is currently being used in the marketplace. 

The NSW Audit Office’s Annual Report 2012-13 has outlined a number of upcoming ICT projects. In 2013-14 the Office plans to implement a Practice Management Information System (PMIS), continue to roll out new financial audit methodology and technology and integrate their Records Management Project. The Office expects that these projects will lead to an increase on last year’s total expenditure of $49.5 million.

The Annual Report by the Victorian Ombudsman, George Brouwer, has warned of the risk of outsourcing entire IT services to contractors. Brouwer found cost overruns in 10 IT projects due to a lack of skilled IT professionals in the public sector. The report also emphasises the importance of efficient project management at an agency level, stating that “it is vital that contractors are overseen by a public officer with sufficient knowledge and experience to be able to challenge the advice and claims made by contractors”.

A review of Queensland’s Police and Community Safety Portfolio by Mick Keelty, a former Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner, has found the portfolio is not operating efficiently and faces substantial issues particularly with regard to ICT and human resources. The report, ‘Sustaining the Unsustainable: Police and Community Safety Review’ outlines concerns around the interoperability of ICT systems across the portfolio and emphasises particular issues around the use of ICT by the Queensland Police Service (QPS).  Many of the report’s recommendations have already been accepted and an implementation team has been formed.

NSW electricity wholesaler, TransGrid, has signed a $12.1 million outsourcing contract with CGI. The three year deal will see CGI managing TransGrid’s end-to-end IT infrastructure. The services include account management, end-user computing, desktop virtualisation infrastructure and software-as-a-service support.

The ACT Government has released a request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for suppliers to replace existing technology associated with the ACT Legislation Register, such as the website and supporting systems, including the legislation lifecycle tracking facility. The register and website were developed in 2001 by the Parliamentary Counsel’s Office and provide a portal for Government agencies to electronically submit legislative information for notification on the register and for publication on the website.

 

Related Articles:

Young gun to lead Queensland’s ICT reforms

Victoria drops supplier performance evaluations

New IT chief for Queensland Police

For more information, please contact the Editor (02) 9955 9896.

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